Shallow-water (<30m) benthic habitat maps of the nearshore marine environment of two areas in Southwest Puerto Rico (PR), including the Guanica Bay/La Parguera region on the south coast and the Belvedere reserve on the west coast, were mapped and characterized using visual interpretation of optical remotely sensed imagery. The objective was to provide spatially-explicit information on the habitat types, biological cover and live coral cover of the regions coral reef ecosystem. These maps will be used to support marine resource management and conservation in the Commonwealth. GeoEye-1 satellite imagery was purchased for the mapping area. Photo-interpreters accurately and reliably delineated boundaries of features from this GeoEye-1 imagery as they appeared on the computer monitor using a software interface.

Planar coordinates are encoded using row and column
Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000001
Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.000001
Planar coordinates are specified in meters

The horizontal datum used is D_WGS_1984.
The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257224.

This product served as source information for a fine-scale assessment of the status, abundance, and distribution of marine habitats of Southwest Puerto Rico. The NOAA effort provides resource managers and researchers with increased technical capacity for ocean exploration, management, and stewardship. Direct implications to management measures include evaluation of management efficacy, a spatial framework for improved monitoring sampling design, improved assessment of human-use impacts, and marine spatial planning to support alternative marine protected area boundary alternatives.

ENVI 4.6.1 software was used to derive a high-resolution, pansharpened and georeferenced dataset. For each scene, ENVIs Pan Sharpening tool created a full-color image at the panchromatic bands resolution (0.41 m). This image fusion tool merges the spectral signatures of the input color bands while using the panchromatic band to enhance the spatial features, two useful outcomes for the photointerpreter. Subsequently, geo-referencing was performed using ENVIs Orthorectify GeoEye-1 with Ground Control module. The ground control points (GCPs) were fixed ground features visible in the imagery that are used along with the satellites ephemeris data to link the image pixels to a coordinate system. NOAA scientists occupied and logged these points using a L1 Trimble GeoXT mapping grade GPS unit, and accuracy was enhanced by adjusting to the continuously-operating base station (PRMI CORS) located on Magueyes Island, PR. Due to the difficulty of obtaining precise positions for submerged features, only ground control points for terrestrial features were collected. Also as part of this module, terrain displacement was corrected for using the U.S. Geological Surveys Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Once individually orthorectified, the scenes from each acquisition were geographically matched tightly to one another using ENVIs Warp From GCPs: Image to Image tool.

These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government (NOAA). Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.